The Legend of Pokti - Chapter Thirteen

 

Chapter Thirteen

Going Home

            “I hope that now, since Brukadorfuish has been banished, we can all live here together in peace for many, many, years,” Alden Kareem announced to the crowd.

            A loud cry of joy rang out.  Many of the people in the crowd were goblins.  They were filled with happiness that now they wouldn’t have to work for the Dark Queen ever again.  One of the goblins was Bruka’s little servant girl.  She was shouting and cheering just as loud as she could.

            News of the victory spread through Pokti quickly.  There was a big celebration that night, and just about everyone in Pokti came.  There was singing, dancing, eating, and talking.  Most of the women brought some type of cake, ice cream, cookies, salad, fruits, vegetables, fish, or Jell-O.  Other foods were brought too.

            After the party and all the celebrations were finally over, everyone camped out in Unicorn Valley.

            *     *     *

            In the morning, when Kyle and Kristy woke up, almost everybody else was awake.

            The thought of going home returned to Kyle’s mind.  He shared his thoughts with Kristy, and they decided that they should ask Alden Kareem about it after they ate.

            They had a wonderful breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Potts and then began their search for the king.  They finally found him with Celeste standing next to his shining, shimmering, pool of water.

            Kyle cleared his throat nervously.  Alden Kareem lifted his head and turned his eyes towards Kyle.  “Um,” Kyle started, “we were wondering how we’re supposed to get home.”

            “Ah,” Alden Kareem said with a chuckle, “that will be easy.”

            “It will?” Kristy asked, suddenly relieved.

            “Yes, it will.  All I need to do is make a bubble like the one I sent your aunt through, and you just hop through.”

            “Okay!” Kyle said, happy that they could go home whenever they were ready.

            “When do you want to leave?” Alden Kareem asked.

            “After we say goodbye to everyone,” Kristy said, suddenly feeling kind of sad.

*     *     *

            Later that day, just after lunch, Kyle and Kristy stood next to Alden Kareem, ready to go.  They had said goodbye to all their friends, and all the new people they had met.  Everyone gathered around to say a final goodbye.

            Alden Kareem created a big, blue bubble about three feet away from where he was standing.

            “Why is it blue instead of pink?” Kyle wondered.

            “Because I’m sending you through a different portal than I sent your aunt through.”

            “Where are you sending us?” Kristy wanted to know.

            “To your aunt’s house.”

            “Then, where did you send her?” Kristy said, confused.

            “I sent her to the house of the Dark King, Blandorbush.”

            “Why didn’t you send her to her own house?” Kyle asked.

            “So I could seal the one in his house too.  That way, she cannot return to Pokti through that portal, and if the Dark King went to Earth to talk to Brukadorfuish, he wouldn’t be able to come back to Pokti to do whatever she wanted him to do.”

            “Are you going to seal our portal too?” Kyle asked, a little concerned.

            “Yes, I am.  But don’t worry, you can come back any time you’re at your aunt’s house.”

            “We can?” Kristy said excitedly, “How?”

            “You still have that key, don’t you?”

            “Yeah, it’s right here in my pocket,” Kristy said as she pulled it out and showed it to him.

            “Well, it will continue to unlock that door at your aunt’s house until it’s gone.”

            “Really?” Kristy said, with a huge smile on her face.

            “Yes, really.  Now, are you ready to go?”

            “We sure are, especially now that we know we can come back whenever we want.”

            “Well, go on, hop through the bubble,” Alden Kareem said, nudging the twins towards the big, shiny bubble.

            “Wait!” Kristy burst out.

            “What is it, my child?” Alden Kareem asked in a fatherly tone.

            “Where’s Spotty?”

            “Right here,” a voice called from the crowd.  Fiertia emerged from the middle of the crowd of people.  There, in her arms, was Spotty.

            “Oh, thank you,” Kristy said, as a huge smile appeared on her forlorn face.  “I thought we’d lost him.”

            “Mother says that when the rest of my family came for the party, he desperately wanted to come, so they brought him along.  He’s been running around all morning, and I just remembered about him a couple minutes ago. Here he is,” Fiertia said as Kristy took Spotty from her arms.

            “On second thought,” Kristy began hesitantly, “it might be better if you keep him. He loves it here. Besides, if we took him back, he'd be with my Aunt Bruka again. Will you take care of him for me?”

            “Of course I will.”

            Kristy gave Spotty a squeeze and then handed him back to Fiertia. She looked back at Kyle who gave her a sad smile telling her that she was doing the right thing. She turned back and gave Fiertia a hug. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

            “I’m going to miss you too.  Come back soon for another visit,” Fiertia whispered back.

            “I will,” she whispered, “I will.”

            When the two finally stopped embracing, Kristy said meekly, “I’m ready now.” She wiped her eyes and held Kyle’s hand.

            “Goodbye!” they said together as they stepped through the bubble, and then they were gone.

            “I’m going to miss those two,” several people muttered.

*     *     *

            Kyle and Kristy were back at Aunt Bruka’s house in the room full of books.

            Kyle ran out of the room, followed shortly by Kristy.  They ran to their Aunt Bruka’s room.  The door was slightly ajar, so they went in.

            “What do you want?” Aunt Bruka asked coldly.

            “I was wondering when our parents are coming back,” Kyle asked.

            “In three days.”

            “Thanks,” he said, turning to walk out of the room. 

 Kristy followed him up the stairs to the room where he was staying.

            “Do you know what this means?” Kyle asked excitedly as soon as they reached the room, and the door was shut.

            “What what means?”

            “It means that time passes the same there as it does here.”

            “So,” Kristy said, waiting for more of an explanation.

            “So we can come to Aunt Bruka’s house for a week and then go to Pokti for a week, and only a week will have passed.  Also, we could go to Pokti next year and only one year will have passed.  The same people will still be there.  Hundreds of years can’t pass by in Pokti unless hundreds of years pass by here.”

            “Oh, that’s great.” Kristy said with false enthusiasm, still not really understanding Kyle’s point.

*     *     *

            At the end of the week when their parents came to get them, and they were driving home in the car, Kristy asked, “Can we stay at Aunt Bruka’s for another week next month?”

            “What for?” their mom said grinning, “I thought you didn’t like going to Aunt Bruka’s house.”

            “We didn’t,” Kyle answered truthfully.

            “Then why the sudden change of heart?”  When nobody answered, she continued, “Or did you just find out it’s not so bad after all?”

            Kyle and Kristy exchanged glances and smiled.